HOODED tops made popular by rap stars such as Eminem are being banned by local authorities, police forces and courts because of their associations with crime.

The bans, handed out to individuals as part of antisocial behaviour orders (Asbos), are designed to prevent young people concealing their identity from CCTV cameras. They also aim to reduce the intimidation felt by residents at seeing gangs of hooded youths lurking around their neighbourhoods.

Councils including Manchester, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Plymouth and Stockton-on-Tees have had Asbos granted against troublemakers banning them from obscuring their faces with clothing.

The bans come as the fashion for wearing hooded tops takes hold among teenagers, partly inspired by musicians such as Eminem, Dr Dre and Dizzee Rascal.

A spokesman for Leeds city council said that of 232 Asbos granted by courts after applications by the authority, nine involved restrictions on hooded tops, but that it was “very difficult to get magistrates to support this kind of Asbo”.

He added: “They are introduced when it can be shown that headwear is part of a uniform identifying gang members. Also, they are forbidden if disguising a person’s facial features forms part of intimidating behaviour and avoiding CCTV cameras. West Yorkshire Police had some youngsters who were getting on buses and robbing people on the top deck while obscuring their faces.”

Inspector Terry Crompton, of Greater Manchester Police, said gangs wearing hooded tops — known as “hoodies”— were a problem in certain parts of the city. He said: “Over 50% of robberies are committed by people covering their face with hoods or something similar.

“It’s an intimidating look. A few years back baseball caps were used to disguise someone’s appearance. Now it appears to be hooded tops.”

Last month, police on Merseyside launched a poster campaign asking for hooded tops and baseball caps to be removed when entering supermarkets, off-licences, banks and petrol stations. John Murphy, deputy chief constable, said: “It puts customers and staff on edge. Law-abiding people will not mind removing a hood or a hat.”

Marilyn Davies, community safety manager at Stockton-on-Tees borough council, said one criminal released from prison, Christopher Wood, 21, had an Asbo imposed that banned him from wearing hooded tops and being in car parks.

She said: “He was released from prison on September 6, the council had an Asbo imposed on him that afternoon. He was known to be drug dependent. He re-offended 10 days later and is back in prison. His offence was being in a car-park, wearing a hooded top and walking towards a car.”

One young hood-wearer in Stockwell, south London, said: “I like to wear my hood up because it is fun and no one can see your face. I think it scares people when you walk by with it up, sometimes I do that on purpose.”

Youth workers in Manchester said the latest fashion to denote gang membership was to wear a single glove on the right hand. This is intended to suggest the wearer is concerned with not leaving powder marks from a firearm on the skin of his shooting hand. Already one Asbo issued in Manchester has banned an individual from wearing a glove on his right hand.

Additional reporting: Holly Watt

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